DWI charges follow SUV crash into Onondaga County backyard

A 2020 Jeep Cherokee tore through Thruway barriers, crossed an exit ramp, and ended up in a residential backyard on Selkirk Street, turning a late-night crash into a close call for an Onondaga County neighborhood.

New York State Police arrested Austin Edward Payne, 30, of Buffalo, and charged him with Driving While Intoxicated after the May 4 crash, which happened shortly before 10 p.m. Investigators said Payne was driving southeast on the New York State Thruway, also known as I-190, when he failed to maintain his lane, traveled through the Exit 4 off ramp, struck an exit sign and continued over a concrete traffic divider onto the Exit 4 on ramp before landing in the backyard.

Payne was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. No other injuries were reported, despite the vehicle leaving the highway and coming to rest in a neighborhood space where children, pets or residents could have been outside if the timing had been different.

Police said Payne was also issued several uniform traffic tickets. He is due back in Buffalo City Court on June 5.

The crash adds a sharp local example to ongoing concern about roadside protection along the Thruway in Onondaga County. Crews have been working on an $84 million infrastructure project that uses concrete barriers to create temporary lanes, a setup officials have said is intended to improve safety and reliability while aging highway sections are rebuilt. A vehicle breaching those barriers and dropping off the roadway into a backyard puts that promise under a harsh spotlight, especially for homes built close to high-speed corridors.

State Police urged drivers to use the STOP-DWI Have a Plan app to arrange a safe ride home. The reminder landed after a crash that could have ended far worse, not just for the driver but for the people living beside one of the region’s busiest highway stretches.